Bag With Removable Compartment

ABSTRACT

A bag includes a removable compartment. The removable compartment might be releasably connected to the bag using various mechanisms, and in one aspect, a zipper with overlapping portions attaches the removable compartment to the rest of the bag and provides access to a storage compartment of the bag.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In brief, at a high level, this disclosure describes, among otherthings, a bag (e.g., backpack) having a removable compartment. Theremovable compartment might be releasably connected to the bag usingvarious mechanisms, and in one aspect, a zipper with overlappingportions attaches the removable compartment to the rest of the bag andprovides access to a storage compartment of the bag.

In a first aspect of the invention, a backpack is provided having afirst compartment and a second compartment. The first compartmentincludes a first set of walls that include a back wall, a front wall,side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall. In addition, the firstcompartment includes an opening that provides access to a first storagespace of the first compartment and that is defined by a perimeter lipextending entirely around the opening. The second compartment is definedby a second set of walls and is releasably attachable to the firstcompartment when received in the opening. The backpack also includes areleasable-attachment mechanism having a first attachment mechanismextending at least partially along the perimeter lip and a secondattachment mechanism coupled to, and extending at least partiallyaround, the second compartment. The first attachment mechanism isreleasably attachable to the second attachment mechanism to releasablyattach the second compartment to the first compartment and to provideselectively openable access to the first storage space.

In a second aspect of the invention, another backpack is provided havinga first set of walls that are coupled to one another to form a firstcompartment. The first compartment includes a storage volume thatgradually reduces from a first end to a second end, and the first set ofwalls includes a first wall that at least partially defines the firstend and a second wall that extends from the first end to the second end.The backpack also includes a second set of walls that are coupled to oneanother to form a second compartment. The first compartment and thesecond compartment are convertible between a first configuration, inwhich the first and second compartments are connected and integratedinto a backpack, and a second configuration, in which the first andsecond compartments are entirely decoupled from one another. In thefirst configuration, the second set of walls attach to the firstcompartment near one or more edges of the first wall and near one ormore edges of the second wall. Further, in the first configuration thefirst wall forms at least part of a top portion of the backpack, and thesecond wall forms at least part of a front portion of the backpack.

Another aspect includes a bag having a first compartment and a secondcompartment. The first compartment includes an opening defined by aperimeter lip having a perimeter length, and the second compartment ispositionable within the perimeter lip to at least partially cover theopening and to at least partially stow the second compartment. The bagalso includes a zipper mechanism having a first row of zipper teeth anda second row of zipper teeth. The first row of zipper teeth is couplednear the perimeter lip and includes a first end and a second end. Inaddition, the first row of zipper teeth includes a first zipper lengthbetween the first end and the second end that is greater than theperimeter length, such that the first end overlaps with the second endto form an overlapping zipper portion. The second row of zipper teethare coupled to an exterior portion of the second compartment andreleasably connect with the first row of zipper teeth to releasablyattach the second compartment to the first compartment.

This above summary is intended to provide a high-level overview ofvarious aspects of the invention and to introduce a selection ofconcepts that are further described below in the detailed description.This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features ofthe claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid inisolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. Thescope of the invention is defined by the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in detail herein with reference tothe attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a front elevation view of a backpack in accordance withan aspect hereof;

FIG. 2 depicts the backpack of FIG. 1 in which the removable compartmentis open in accordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 inaccordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 4 depicts a side elevation view of the backpack of FIG. 1 inaccordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 5 depicts a rear view of the backpack of FIG. 1 in accordance withan aspect hereof;

FIGS. 6 and 7 depict perspective views of the backpack of FIG. 1 inwhich the removable compartment is partially decoupled from the backpackin accordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 8 depicts another perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 inwhich the removable compartment is decoupled in accordance with anaspect hereof;

FIG. 9 depicts a bottom portion of the backpack of FIG. 1 with anattachment mechanism for attaching the removable compartment inaccordance with an aspect hereof; and

FIGS. 10A and 10B depict views of a portion of an attachment mechanismthat mates with the mechanism in FIG. 9 in accordance with an aspecthereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of aspects of the present invention is described withspecificity herein to meet statutory requirements. But the descriptionitself is not intended to necessarily limit the scope of claims. Rather,the claimed subject matter might be embodied or carried out in otherways to include different elements or combinations of elements similarto the ones described in this document, in conjunction with otherpresent or future technologies.

In general, this disclosure describes a bag (e.g., backpack orduffle-style bag) that has a removable compartment. While the removablecompartment might be used to store various types of items, a generalshape of the compartment might lend to stowing articles of footwear orsimilarly shaped items. The removable compartment might be releasablyconnected to the bag using various mechanisms, and in one aspect, azipper with overlapping portions attaches the removable compartment tothe rest of the bag and provides access to a storage compartment of thebag. In addition, portions of the removable compartment might also serveas one or more exterior walls of the bag when the removable compartmentis attached to the bag.

Referring now to the various figures, an illustrative bag 10 is depictedas an example of a bag that has features in accordance with an aspect ofone or more claims. Generally, the bag 10 includes a removablecompartment 110. For example, FIGS. 1-5 illustratively depict theremovable compartment 110 as securely coupled to the rest of the bag110, and FIGS. 6-8 show various stages of the removable compartment 110being decoupled. FIG. 9 shows a portion of an opening of the bag afterthe removable compartment has been decoupled, and the opening includesoverlapping portions of a zipper mechanism. FIGS. 10A and 10B depict aportion of the removable compartment that has been decoupled and thatincludes overlapping portions of the zipper mechanism, which mate withthe portions depicted in FIG. 9. The zipper mechanism depicted in thefigures attaches the removable compartment 110 to the rest of the bag 10and provides access to a storage space “A” of the bag (e.g., FIG. 7).These and other elements of the bag 10 will be described in greaterdetail below.

The bag 10 generally has a first set of walls that includes a back wall12 and a front wall 14 that generally oppose one another. In addition,the bag 10 includes a first side wall 16 and a second side wall 18 thatgenerally oppose one another, and a top wall 20 and a bottom wall 22that generally oppose one another. The set of walls generally enclosethe storage space “A” (FIG. 7) and include an opening that allows accessto the storage space and is defined by a perimeter lip 24A-D (FIG. 8).As such, the set of walls 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 form a firstcompartment 15 (e.g., FIG. 8) of the bag 10 that is detachable from theremovable compartment 110.

The bag also includes pockets 26 and 28 coupled to an exterior surfaceof the side walls, as well as a pair of shoulder straps 30 and 32 thatextend across the back wall 12 (e.g., FIG. 5). The bag might includeother elements and structures that are not depicted in the drawings,such as various zipper pouches, carrying handles or loops, supportstraps, and the like.

The removable compartment 110 includes another set of walls thatgenerally enclose another storage space “B” (FIG. 2). Theremovable-compartment walls include a second front wall 112 and a secondtop wall 114 (as oriented in the drawings and when coupled to the restof the bag 10). The term “second” might used to denote walls 112 and 114so as not to confuse them with the front wall 14 and top wall 20 of thefirst compartment. In addition, the removable compartment 110 includes afirst side 116, a second side 118, and an inclined side 120 that isbetween the first and second sides and generally opposes the front wall112 (e.g., FIG. 8). The inclined side 120 is either directly orindirectly coupled to the removable-compartment front wall 112 near awall junction 122 (FIGS. 10A and 10B).

The removable storage compartment 110 includes an opening that providesaccess to the storage space B. For example, the figures depict a cut orslit that is constructed into a portion of the removable-compartment topwall 114 and the removable-compartment front wall 112. The shape of theslit creates a concave portion (e.g., U-shaped or C-shaped) that servesas a flap 124, which can be opened and closed to manage access to thestorage space B. Although the figures depict the flap as including aportion of the removable-compartment front wall 112 and theremovable-compartment top wall 114, in other aspects the flap 124 mightbe only constructed into the removable-compartment front wall 112 oronly constructed into the removable-compartment top wall 114.

In one aspect, the flap is releasably connected to the walls 112 and 114by a releasable fastener. For instance, FIGS. 1 and 3 show the flap 124in a closed position, and FIG. 2 depicts the flap 124 in an openposition. As such, the releasable fastener can be closed (e.g., FIG. 1)to restrict access to the storage space B and can be opened (e.g., FIG.2) to allow access to the storage space B. The figures depict thereleasable fastener as a zipper mechanism (e.g., reference numeral 125identifies a zipper pull), but various alternative releasable fastenersmight be used, such as hook-and-loop strips, male/female connectors, andthe like.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate that the storage space B might gradually reducein volume from a first end (near the releasable-compartment top wall114) to a second end (near the junction 122 between thereleasable-compartment front wall 112 and the inclined wall 120). In oneaspect, the storage space B is generally shaped to correspond to a pairof footwear articles. For example, some articles of footwear include anankle-support region that is relatively taller than a toe-box region.When the storage space B is larger near the releasable-compartment topwall 114 than the junction 122, then the ankle-support region can bepositioned in portion of the storage space B that is proximal to thereleasable-compartment top wall 114.

For example, in FIG. 2 the flap 124 has been releasably opened to showan exemplary pair of shoes “C” stowed in the storage space B. The shoesC are oriented such that the ankle-support region is positioned towardsthe releasable-compartment top wall 114, and the toe-box region isoriented towards the opposite end of the releasable-compartment frontwall 112 and near the junction 122. In addition, the bottom of thefootwear outsole might face towards the interior surface of thereleasable-compartment front wall 112 and the footwear upper might facetowards the inclined side 120.

In a further aspect, the releasable-compartment front wall 112 and thereleasable-compartment top wall 114 have a set of physical propertiesthat are different than the first 116, second 118, and inclined 120sides. The different characteristics might result from using differenttextiles or different variations of the same textile (e.g., thickness,ventilation apertures, chemical treatments, etc.). For example, thereleasable-compartment front wall 112 and the releasable-compartment topwall 114 might be more rigid and/or stiffer than the first 116, second118, and inclined 120 walls, and the first, second, and inclined wallsmight be more crushable or formable than the releasable-compartmentfront wall 112 and the releasable-compartment top wall 114.

These exemplary wall and side characteristics of the removablecompartment can provide certain utility for the bag 10 and for itemsthat are stored in the bag. For example, if articles of footwear arepositioned in the storage space B, then the outsole might be positionedagainst the interior surface of the releasable-compartment front wall112, and the heel portion of the footwear might be positioned againstthe interior surface of the releasable-compartment top wall 114. In thisexample, the footwear upper would be oriented towards the interiorsurface of the first, second, and inclined walls. The footwear outsolemight be more generally planar than the footwear upper. In addition, thefootwear outsole might include relatively hard protruding members (e.g.,cleats). As such, a more rigid releasable-compartment front wall 112 canprovide a more stable and solid backing against which the outsole of thefootwear can be supported. If the outsole includes cleats, then thismore rigid wall can impede the protruding members from excessivelybulging through the exterior surface of the wall 112. In addition, thereleasable-compartment front and top walls 112 and 114 combine withother walls of the bag (e.g., 14 and 20) to form a front portion of thebackpack and a top portion of the backpack when the removablecompartment is attached to the bag. As such, the more rigidreleasable-compartment front and top walls 112 and 114 help to provideoverall wall support, structure, and protection for the backpack.

In a further aspect, a less rigid first wall 116, second wall 118, andinclined wall 120 (as compared with the releasable-compartment front andtop walls 112 and 114) allow the walls side and inclined walls 116, 118,and 120 to flexibly adjust to the footwear upper, such as when itemsstored in the storage space A press against (and fill in the spacesaround) these walls. Such wall flexibility allows both storage spaces Aand B to be maximized without an unnecessarily rigid divider between thespaces. The illustrative shoes C depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 are depictedto include a width that exceeds a width of the releasable-compartmentfront wall 112, and the relative flexibility of the walls 116, 118, and120 allows the removable-compartment to fit around the shoes C. In oneaspect the front wall 112 and the top wall 114 are constructed ofheavier-weight and/or heavier-duty textiles or materials, as comparedwith the first side 116, second side 118, and inclined side 120.

As previously indicated the set of walls including the back 12, front14, sides 16 and 18, top 20 and bottom 22 generally enclose the storagespace “A” and include an opening that allows access to the storagespace. The opening to the storage space A is generally defined by aperimeter lip 24A-D and the edges of the perimeter lip are identifiedbased on a relative proximity as compared with other portions or edgesof the perimeter lip. As depicted, the perimeter lip includes afirst-side edge 24A that is relatively proximal to, and generallyoriented towards, the first side wall 16 (or at least a first side ofthe front wall 14 that is adjacent to the first side wall 16). Theperimeter lip also includes a top-side edge 24B that is relativelyproximal to, and generally oriented towards, a top portion of thebackpack, and a bottom-side edge 24D that is relatively proximal to, andgenerally oriented towards a bottom of the backpack. The second-sideedge 24C of the perimeter lip is relatively proximal to, and generallyoriented towards, the second side wall 18 (or at least a first side ofthe front wall 14 that is adjacent to the first side wall 16). Thus, theperimeter-lip edges generally form a rectangular configuration thatextends across the front 14 and the top 20.

In a further aspect, the bag 10 includes a releasable-attachmentmechanism having a first attachment mechanism extending at leastpartially along the perimeter lip 24A-D and a second attachmentmechanism coupled to, and extending at least partially around, theremovable compartment 110. Generally, the first attachment mechanism isreleasably attachable to the second attachment mechanism to releasablyattach the removable compartment to the rest of the bag and to provideselectively openable/closeable access to the storage space A.

The figures depict a first set of zipper teeth 36 coupled around theperimeter 24A-D and a second set of zipper teeth 38 coupled around theremovable compartment 110 (e.g., to an exterior surface of the removablecompartment 110). In one aspect, the zipper teeth 38 are coupled to theremovable compartment 110 near the perimeter edges of thereleasable-compartment front wall 112 and the releasable-compartment topwall 114. As such, when the removable compartment 110 is positioned inthe opening to the storage space A, the first set of zipper teeth 36 areattachable to the second set of zipper teeth 38 to attach the removablecompartment to the rest of the bag 10 and to provide selectivelycloseable access to the storage space A.

In a further aspect, the first set of zipper teeth 36 includes a firstend 40 and a second end 42 and a first zipper length between the firstend 40 and the second end 42. As depicted in FIG. 9, the first zipperlength might be greater than a distance around the perimeter lip, whichdefines the opening to the storage space A. As such, the first end 40overlaps with the second end 42 to form an overlapping portion of zipperteeth 44, which is outlined in broken lines for illustrative purposes.

In addition, the second row of zipper teeth 38 includes a first end 46(FIG. 10A) and a second end 48 (FIG. 10B) and a second zipper lengthbetween the first end 46 and the second end 48. The second zipper lengthof the second teeth 38 is substantially similar to the first zipperlength of the first teeth 36, and in one aspect, the second row ofzipper teeth 38 circumscribe a portion of the removable compartment 110.As such, when the first row 36 and the second row 38 are coupled, thenthe removable compartment 110 substantially covers the opening to thestorage space A.

In a further aspect, the second length of the second row of zipper teeth38 is greater than the distance around the circumscribed portion of theremovable compartment, such that the first end 46 and the second end 48overlap one another. For example, FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate anoverlapping portion 50. In one aspect, a length of the overlappingportion 50 of the second row of zipper teeth 38 is substantially similarto a length of the overlapping portion 44 (FIG. 9) of the first row ofzipper teeth 38.

In the depicted aspect, the second row of zipper teeth 38 is positionednear the free perimeter edges of the releasable-compartment front wall112 and the releasable-compartment top wall 114. As such, when the firstrow of zipper teeth 36 is coupled to the second row of zipper teeth 38,then the releasable-compartment front wall 112 and the front wall 14form a relatively flat front portion of the bag 10, and thereleasable-compartment top wall 114 and the top wall 20 form arelatively flat top portion of the bag. The second row of zipper teeth38 might not be attached directly to the perimeter edges and, instead,might be attached under the perimeter edges, such that the freeperimeters of the releasable-compartment front and top walls 112 and 114form an eave over the zipper. As such, the eave protects the zippermechanism (i.e., 36 and 38) when the two rows of teeth are coupled.

In other aspects, the second row of zipper teeth 38 might be positionedaround different portions of the removable compartment 110, provided thesecond row of zipper teeth 38 includes an overall length that issubstantially similar to the first row of zipper teeth 36. For example,the second row of zipper teeth 38 might circumscribe a more centralregion of the removable compartment that is nearer to a midline betweenthe releasable-compartment front wall 112 and the inclined wall 120 thanto either the releasable-compartment front wall 112 or the inclined wall120, which creates an upper portion of the removable compartment betweenthe row of zipper teeth and the front wall and a lower portion of theremovable compartment between the row of zipper teeth and the inclinedwall. In this aspect, the upper portion would protrude outward and awayfrom the front wall 14 of the bag when the zipper teeth are coupled.

The zipper mechanism includes a first zipper box and a second zipperbox, a first zipper slider and a second zipper slider, and a firstzipper insertion pin and a second zipper insertion pin. In one aspect,the first zipper box and the second zipper box are both coupled to asame one of the first row of zipper teeth or the second row of zipperteeth, which also includes the first zipper slider and the second zipperslider. As such, the first zipper insertion pin and a second zipperinsertion pin are both coupled to the other row of zipper teeth thatdoes not include the first and second zipper boxes and first and secondzipper pulls. For example, the figures depict the first zipper box 52and the second zipper box 54 coupled to the first and second ends 40 and42 of the first row of zipper teeth 36. As such, the figures also showthe first zipper slider 56 and the second zipper slider 58 also coupledtoe the first and second ends 40 and 42. The first zipper insertion pin60 (FIG. 10A) is depicted at the first end 46 of the second row ofzipper teeth, and the second zipper insertion pin 62 (FIG. 10B) isdepicted at the second end 48.

The overlapping zipper mechanism with two sets of boxes, pulls, andinsertion pins provides added security by requiring the disengagement ofboth ends of the zipper mechanism in order to decouple the removablecompartment 110 from the bag 10. In addition, the two-set configurationcan make it more difficult to accidentally decouple the removablecompartment when accessing the storage space A.

The figures illustrate a generally rectangular depiction of theperimeter lip 24A-B extending across the front 14 and top 20 isexemplary. In addition, FIGS. 7-9 depict an exemplary aspect in whichthe first row of zipper teeth 36 is positioned on a front portion of thebackpack, and FIG. 5 illustrates the first row extending along a topportion of the backpack. In addition, the overlapping zipper portion 44is also positioned on the front portion of the backpack. In alternativeaspects, the perimeter lip 24 might include only two edges (e.g., slit)or three edges (e.g., triangular opening), or the perimeter lip mightinclude more than four edges. In addition, the perimeter lip 24 mightextend across only the front wall 14 (and not the top wall 20) or onlythe top wall (and not the front wall). In further aspects, the perimeterlip 24 might extend across any other of the described walls that formthe first compartment. Likewise, the zipper mechanism might includeother arrangements that are tailored to fit the opening to the storagespace A that is defined by the perimeter lip.

Other exemplary aspects will now be described and when describing theseaspects, reference might be made to the various drawings. For example,in one aspect a backpack is provided having a first compartment (e.g.,15) and a second compartment (e.g., 110). The first compartment includesa first set of walls that include a back wall, a front wall, side walls,a top wall, and a bottom wall (e.g., 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22). Inaddition, the first compartment includes an opening that provides accessto a first storage space and that is defined by a perimeter lip. Theopening might be positioned in one or more of the walls of the first setof walls. For example, in the figures the opening to storage space A ofthe first compartment 15 is defined by a perimeter lip 24A-D extendingthrough part of the front wall 14 and the top wall 20. In other aspects,the opening might be positioned only in the top wall 20 or only in thefront wall 14 or only in one of the other walls. Or the opening might bepositioned in some other combination of the walls. The secondcompartment (e.g., 110) is defined by a second set of walls and isreleasably attachable to the first compartment when received in theopening. The backpack also includes a releasable-attachment mechanismhaving a first attachment mechanism (e.g., 36) extending at leastpartially along the perimeter lip and a second attachment mechanism(e.g., 38) coupled to, and extending at least partially around, thesecond compartment. The first attachment mechanism is releasablyattachable to the second attachment mechanism to releasably attach thesecond compartment to the first compartment and to provide selectivelyopenable access to the first storage space.

In a second aspect of the invention, another backpack is provided havinga first set of walls that are coupled to one another to form a firstcompartment. The first compartment (e.g., 110) includes a storage volumethat gradually reduces from a first end to a second end (e.g., depictedin FIG. 8), and the first set of walls includes a first wall (e.g., 114)that at least partially defines the first end and a second wall (e.g.,112) that extends from the first end to the second end. One version of afirst compartment is depicted in the various drawings, and the firstcompartment might include various other similar shapes, such as a wedgeor other triangular prism or tube. The backpack also includes a secondset of walls that are coupled to one another to form a secondcompartment. For example, the walls 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 form thesecond compartment 15. In other aspects, the second set of walls mightinclude a fewer number of walls, such as a back wall, bottom wall, andside walls (i.e., no top wall and no bottom wall), or the second set ofwalls might include more walls in addition to the illustrated walls. Thefirst compartment and the second compartment are convertible between afirst configuration (e.g., FIGS. 1-5), in which the first and secondcompartments are connected and integrated into a backpack, and a secondconfiguration, in which the first and second compartments are entirelydecoupled from one another (e.g., FIG. 8). In the first configuration,the second set of walls attach to the first compartment near one or moreedges of the first wall (e.g., 114) and near one or more edges of thesecond wall (e.g., 112). Further, in the first configuration the firstwall (e.g., 114) forms at least part of a top portion of the backpack,and the second wall (e.g., 112) forms at least part of a front portionof the backpack.

Another aspect includes a bag having a first compartment (e.g., 15) anda second compartment (e.g., 110). The first compartment includes anopening defined by a perimeter lip (e.g., 24A-D) having a perimeterlength, and the second compartment is positionable within the perimeterlip to at least partially cover the opening and to at least partiallystow the second compartment. The bag also includes a zipper mechanismhaving a first row of zipper teeth (e.g., 36) and a second row of zipperteeth (e.g., 38). The first row of zipper teeth is coupled near theperimeter lip and includes a first end (e.g., 40) and a second end(e.g., 42). In addition, the first row of zipper teeth includes a firstzipper length between the first end and the second end that is greaterthan the perimeter length, such that the first end overlaps with thesecond end to form an overlapping zipper portion (e.g., 44). The secondrow of zipper teeth (e.g., 38) is coupled to an exterior portion of thesecond compartment and releasably connects with the first row of zipperteeth to releasably attach the second compartment to the firstcompartment.

Although some of these elements are depicted as sides, walls, ends,faces, and the like, for illustrative purposes, and although they mightbe referred to as separate elements, the bag may be formed in such amanner that there are not clear delineations between these elements. Forexample, a single sheet of material might be used to form one or more ofthe walls, sides, top, bottom etc. For joining the ends of a singlepiece or material or joining separate pieces of material together, anysuitable joining method may be used, including, without limitation,stitching, heat welding, ultrasonic welding, plasma welding, gluing, andthe like, or combinations thereof. In addition, some of the elementsmight be identified based on a relative orientation to one another andto the viewer or to the wearer. These respective and relative labels areprovided for explanatory purposes and should not be interpreted tounduly limit the scope of claimed subject matter. In addition, a wallmight be constructed of one panel or might be constructed of more thanone panel. For example, a side wall might include a single panel oftextile that extends between a front and back and between a top and abottom. Or a side wall might include a plurality of panels that areaffixed end to end or in a layered manner to include a relatively flatside (e.g., planar or two dimensional) or a side that extends orprotrudes in multiple planes and has a substantial three-dimensionalnature.

Moreover, if there are not distinct sides or walls to the bag (e.g., iftwo or more sides are continuous, in that they are not clearlydelineated by the construction of the bag) the sides are distinguishedby respective orientation. For example, the “front” facing side does notsit on the ground when the bag is properly placed on the ground, rather,the bottom or base generally sits on the ground and the front facingside faces towards the viewer. Ambiguous areas in between the sides maybe referred to as shoulders, joints, or junctions.

Further, the exemplary bag 10 is illustrated to include athree-dimensional shape having substantially rectangular sides, top, andbottom, and a substantially trapezoidal front and back wall. But the bagmight include various other three-dimensional shapes and tubularstructures, such as a cylinder, square tube, rectangular tube, boxshaped, cuboid shaped, trapezoid shaped, or other prism shape. Otherthree-dimensional shapes or structures of the bag and its compartmentsare contemplated to be within the scope of this disclosure, and somefurther aspects are described herein with regard to the figures.

The bag can be made from a single piece of material, or from two or morepieces of like or different materials joined directly or indirectly toone another. Exemplary materials for forming the bag include, withoutlimitation, polyester, nylon, cotton, elastane, leather, suede,faux-leather, faux-suede, hemp, bamboo, polyvinyl chloride,polyurethane, and combinations thereof, including layers or laminates ofthe same or different materials. The material(s) may be in the form offilm, cloth, mesh, netting, or combinations thereof. The material orselected materials used in bag may be water-resistant orwater-repellant, inherently or by treatment of the material forhydrophobicity. Water-resistance may be particularly helpful near anexterior pocket (e.g., to reduce or prevent water transmission fromcondensation on a bottle of water or other cold beverage) or on thebottom and/or second side of the bag (e.g., to reduce or prevent watertransmission if the bag is set down on a wet surface, as, for example,outdoors or near a shower, sink, or pool). The material or selectedmaterials used in a bag may be air and/or water permeable (e.g., toallow the transmission of humid air out of the bag, or fresh and/ordrier air into the bag), and may be air and/or water permeableunidirectionally or both in and out of the bag.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure. It will be understood that certain features andsubcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference toother features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and iswithin the scope of the claims. Since many possible embodiments may bemade of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is tobe understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

1. A backpack comprising: a first compartment defined by a first set ofwalls including at least: a back wall, wherein one or more shoulderstraps of the backpack extend across an exterior surface of the backwall; a first side wall positioned along a first side of the back wall;a second side wall positioned along a second side of the back wall andgenerally opposing the first side wall; a bottom wall positioned along abottom of the back wall, wherein the first compartment includes anopening that provides access to a first storage space of the firstcompartment and that is defined by a perimeter lip extending entirelyaround the opening; a second compartment defined by a second set ofwalls, the second compartment being releasably attachable to the firstcompartment and being receivable in the opening; and areleasable-attachment mechanism having a first attachment mechanismextending at least partially along the perimeter lip and a secondattachment mechanism coupled to, and extending at least partiallyaround, the second compartment, the first attachment mechanism beingreleasably attachable to the second attachment mechanism to releasablyattach the second compartment to the first compartment and to provideselectively openable access to the first storage space.
 2. The backpackof claim 1, wherein the first set of walls further includes a front wallthat generally opposes the back wall and that is positioned between thefirst side wall and the second side wall, and wherein the openingincludes at least a portion of the front wall, such that the perimeterlip includes a perimeter-lip first edge relatively proximal to the firstside wall, a perimeter-lip bottom edge relatively proximal the bottomwall, and a perimeter-lip second edge relatively proximal to the secondside wall, the perimeter-lip first, second, and bottom edges at leastpartially defining the portion of the front wall included in theopening.
 3. The backpack of claim 2, wherein the second set of wallsincludes a wall that combines with the front wall to form a frontportion of the backpack when the second compartment is positioned in theopening.
 4. The backpack of claim 3, wherein the second set of wallsincludes a selectively closeable opening that provides access to asecond storage space of the second compartment, and wherein the wallincludes at least a portion of the selectively closeable opening.
 5. Thebackpack of claim 2, wherein the first set of walls further comprises atop wall that is positioned between the first side wall and the secondside wall and between the back wall and the front wall, and wherein theperimeter lip further includes a perimeter-lip top edge relativelyproximal to the top wall, the opening being entirely defined in thefront wall.
 6. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the first set of wallsfurther includes a top wall positioned along a top of the back wallbetween the first side wall and the second side wall, and wherein theopening includes at least a portion of the top wall, such that theperimeter lip includes a perimeter-lip first edge relatively proximal tothe first side wall, a perimeter-lip back edge relatively proximal tothe back wall, and a perimeter-lip second edge relatively proximal tothe second side wall, the perimeter-lip first, second, and back edges atleast partially defining the portion of the top wall included in theopening.
 7. The backpack of claim 6, wherein the second set of wallsincludes a wall that combines with the top wall to form a top portion ofthe backpack when the second compartment is positioned in the opening.8. The backpack of claim 7, wherein the second set of walls includes aselectively closeable opening that provides access to a second storagespace of the second compartment, and wherein the wall includes at leasta portion of the selectively closeable opening.
 9. The backpack of claim7, wherein the first set of walls further includes a front wall thatgenerally opposes the back wall and that is positioned between the firstside wall and the second side wall and between the bottom wall and thetop wall, and wherein the opening includes at least a portion of thefront wall, such that the perimeter lip includes a perimeter-lip bottomedge relatively proximal to the bottom wall, the perimeter-lip bottomedge extending contiguously with the perimeter-lip first edge and theperimeter-lip second edge.
 10. The backpack of claim 9, wherein thesecond set of walls includes another wall that combines with the frontwall to form a front portion of the backpack when the second compartmentis positioned in the opening.
 11. The backpack of claim 10, wherein thesecond set of walls includes a selectively closeable opening thatprovides access to a second storage space of the second compartment, andwherein the wall and the other wall both include respective portions ofthe selectively closeable opening.
 12. The backpack of claim 6, whereinthe first set of walls further comprises a front wall that is positionedbetween the first side wall and the second side wall and between the topwall and the bottom wall, and wherein the perimeter lip further includesa perimeter-lip front edge relatively proximal to the front wall, theopening being entirely defined in the top wall.
 13. A bag comprising: afirst set of walls that are coupled to one another to form a firstcompartment having a storage volume that gradually reduces from a firstend to a second end, the first set of walls including a first wall thatat least partially defines the first end and a second wall that extendsfrom the first end to the second end; and a second set of walls that arecoupled to one another to form a second compartment, wherein the firstcompartment and the second compartment are convertible between a firstconfiguration, in which the first and second compartments are connectedand integrated into a backpack, and a second configuration, in which thefirst and second compartments are entirely decoupled from one another,wherein in the first configuration, the second set of walls attach tothe first compartment near one or more edges of the first wall and nearone or more edges of the second wall; and wherein in the firstconfiguration, the first wall forms at least part of a top portion ofthe backpack and the second wall forms at least part of a front portionof the backpack.
 14. The backpack of claim 13, wherein the firstcompartment includes a first component of a releasable fastener near theone or more edges of the first wall and near the one or more edges ofthe second wall, and wherein the second compartment includes the secondcomponent of the releasable fastener.
 15. The backpack of claim 14,wherein the first component includes a first set of zipper teeth couplednear the one or more edges of the first wall and near the one or moreedges of the second wall, and wherein a second set of zipper teeth arecoupled around a perimeter lip of an opening that provides access to astorage space of the second compartment, the first set of zipper teethand the second set of zipper teeth being releasably connectable toattach the first compartment to the second compartment and to manageaccess to the storage space.
 16. A bag comprising: a first compartmenthaving an opening defined by a perimeter lip having a perimeter length;a second compartment that is positionable within the perimeter lip to atleast partially cover the opening and to at least partially stow thesecond compartment; and a zipper mechanism comprising: a first row ofzipper teeth that are coupled near the perimeter lip and that includes afirst end and a second end, the first row of zipper teeth including afirst zipper length between the first end and the second end that isgreater than the perimeter length, such that the first end overlaps withthe second end to form an overlapping zipper portion, and a second rowof zipper teeth that are coupled to an exterior portion of the secondcompartment and that releasably connect with the first row of zipperteeth to releasably attach the second compartment to the firstcompartment.
 17. The bag of claim 16, wherein the zipper mechanismfurther includes a first zipper box and a second zipper box, and whereinthe first zipper box and the second zipper box are both coupled to asame one of the first row of zipper teeth or the second row of zipperteeth that also includes a first zipper slider and a second zipperslider.
 18. The bag of claim 17, wherein the zipper mechanism furtherincludes a first zipper insertion pin and a second zipper insertion pin,both of which are coupled to the other row of zipper teeth that does notinclude the first and second zipper boxes and first and second zipperpulls.
 19. The bag of claim 18, wherein the first row of zipper teeth ispositioned on a front portion of a backpack and a top portion of abackpack, and wherein the overlapping zipper portion is positioned onthe front portion of the backpack.
 20. The bag of claim 19 furthercomprising, another zipper mechanism that provides zippered access to astorage space of the second compartment.